I’m just back from — in short order — Hong Kong, Omaha and New York City, where I attended ASI’s show. For those of you who know me, you’re quite aware that mornings are not my strong suit as nighttime is when I shine. I’ll let those more disciplined and diligent than I post photos from the actual trade show and am content to highlight what goes down when the sun does… So, without further delay, enjoy some photos from Counselor’s Hot Party, celebrating the 49 people on this year’s list, as well as the dive bar where I, and some select industry libertines, reveled pre-party. The place — the Double Down Saloon — bore more than a passing resemblance to the Cantina bar in Star Wars, where all the three-eyed, lizard-skinned weirdo aliens took up residence in its dank interiors. Of course, we loved it.

Cheers, and more next week from Expo East in Atlantic City, where I’m excited to see all my pals in town for the event (I’m looking at you, Mr. Bellantone! ; )).

– M

Because I seem to be medically incapable of being in a city and not making my beloved colleague Jake (“Jakey” to his nearest and dearest) Krolick, ASI’s creative director, find me the skeeziest of dive bars to drag my favorite industry celebs, I give you Jetline Joe Hoffman (left) and Michael Legel — someone who’s just awesome to the 10th power — with the five-star, FL-based supplier Continental Plastic Card Co. These two were kind enough to meet Jake and I at the oh-so-swanky (she says sarcastically) Double Down Saloon in New York’s East Village. They are troopers, I tell ya!

Here’s my girl Megan Erber (left) and a new friend, Julie Fritsch, both of Jetline, with Jake. As Megan noted when she introduced me to Julie, “she is the wizard behind the scenes who keeps it all together!” And who the hell doesn’t need one of those? Great meeting you, Julie!

Michael Legel with another new friend, Andrew Janosick, the vice president/partner of PROforma Executive Business Services in New York. Some people, when they hang out with me and my merry band of misfits for the first time, get a glazed look of utter (mi)shell shock on their faces. Not Andrew. He fit right in (God help him).

Dana Zezzo in the house!!! I shared with the peripatetic Mr. Zezzo that he is the one person I think of when I’m traveling and on the verge of having an epic meltdown in an airport due to some travel SNAFU. I literally take deep breaths, channel everyone’s favorite industry road warrior and think, “WWDD”? Here he is with the lovely and talented Megan Erber and Jetline Joe. Quick note about Joe: His impersonations of people in the industry are spot-on, so next time you’re at a party with him, ask him to break some out. HIL-ARIOUS.

Truly, you’d be hard-pressed to find a sales rep more beloved in the industry than Bodek and Rhodes’ Marc Held (right), shown here with Jetline’s Dana Zezzo. Marc just got married last month, so it was great to see him back on the show circuit. If this industry was high school (and trust me, on a multitude of levels, it really is…) Mr. Held would win “Mr. Congeniality.”

Oh Holy Hell. It’s the “Zoint,” Dana Zezzo’s now-famous point. I’m fairly certain that this is the first time so many people dressed so well graced the door of the Double Down Saloon.

Based right in mid-town, Counselor Top 40 distributor Axis Promotions is one of my favorites for many reasons: They produce jaw-dropping self-promo pieces; the company is routinely named one of Counselor’s Best Places to Work (as voted on by employees); and, oh yes, Miss Katie Smart (left) works there. Katie, a member of this year’s Counselor Hot List, is young, whip-smart talented (the Trend Reports she crafts for the company are on the level of Vogue and W magazines) and just a delight. Here she is with the company’s founder and president, Larry Cohen, and Axis staffer Dana Cappabianca, who I look forward to spending more time with in the future. Dana, you in? ; )

A word, now, about these two — Axis’ Larry Cohen and Sunrise Identity’s Mitch Mounger. Between them, they dominate their respective cities of New York and Seattle, and to say I love and adore them is putting it mildly. They both run successful, smart, innovative companies that value and nurture talent and hard work, and encourage a creative work environment that welcomes canines and cocktails in equal measure. They are as funny as they are charming, but what’s really won me over has been their consistently hilarious late-night performances in whatever dive-bar we find ourselves. They embrace the concept of letting their freak flags fly, and I’m here to tell ya: I pledge allegiance.

Here’s me, Mitch and the stunning Miss Brittany David, national sales manager for SnugZ. Mitch and Brittany are both on this year’s Counselor Hot List and hoo boy, did we choose well. In the relatively short time I’ve known Brittany, she continues to impress me with her professionalism, grace and knowledge of the industry. So much so, that I’ve asked her to be a panelist at this year’s ASI Power Summit in Park City, UT in September, so stay tuned for that!

(From left to right): Bodek’s Marc Held, ETS Express’ Jeff Hinds and Axis’ Larry Cohen. “Jersey Jeff” (as I call him) and I have been friends for years, and I’m thrilled that he’s now on the sales team for Counselor Top 40 supplier ETS Express. A member of last year’s Counselor Hot List, Jeff just became a first-time dad, so he’s got lots of awesome things happening, all of which he deserves (slumming it with me in the Double Down Saloon notwithstanding…).

Just. Wowza. Where to start with this one… Well, I’ll repeat what I told Larry Cohen: Perhaps one day, I will invite everyone to join me for a high-brow evening of insightful, introspective discourse and chilled martinis at a respectable establishment like The Palm. Until then, we have Ass Juice shots at the skeezy Double Down Saloon, with cheesy 70s porn on a constant loop for background ambiance. Good Lord.

Axis’ Larry Cohen and the vivacious Megan Erber. My girl has a black-belt in multitasking! A mom to five children (and a puppy!), sales rep extraordinaire, MMA fighter (seriously … she could drop you like 5th period French) and bon vivant on the social circuit, she does it all!

Wonder Twin powers activate, in the form of Beautiful Blondes! Say hi to Brittany David (left) and Katie Smart.

In what is arguably the Best. Photobomb. Ever., ASI’s director of distributor marketing, Colin Graf (“El Diablo” to his pals here at ASI) pops into the photo with ASI’s Hot Mama (literally… she just had her first child, an adorable little boy … HOLLA, Kyan!), Krista Taylor (left), and Circulation Diva, Deb Brill.

Here’s my colleague Andy Cohen (center), editor of Counselor magazine, at the Counselor Hot Party. Now usually, Andy is the voice of reason among us. But precisely one night a year, at the Hot Party, Degenerate Andy makes an appearance and puts in a performance that would make Keith Richards proud. For the record: I Heart Degenerate Andy. Here he is, with two of his favorites in the industry, Axis’ Larry Cohen (left) and Mitch Mounger. Click below to see a previously-unreleased outtake video from the Hot Party of Andy interviewing the fabulous Marc Giroux, a member of this year’s Hot List and the vice president of sales for Spector & Co., this year’s Supplier of the Year in Canada. At 40 seconds in, Andy gets quite the surprise…

ASI managing editor and star of The Joe Show, Joe Haley, shown here with our friend Harry Fotopoulous, sales exec with Ad-N-Art, and one of the coolest guys in the industry.

Michael Legel and his gorgeous gal pal Raina Vangeloff.

I love, love, love this photo if for no other reason than the guest appearance of Joe Haley’s big Muppet Mouth. (From left): ASI’s Joe Haley, Harry Fotopoulous, me, Michael Legel and ASI’s senior vice president and editor-in-chief, Melinda Ligos.

ASI’s president and CEO, Tim Andrews — the gracious Hot Party Host With the Most — and Mitch Mounger, CEO of Sunrise Identity. True story, and it involves me, Mitch and a farm animal (for the love of God): As we were literally the last people to leave the Hot Party at 1:30 a.m. but not wanting to call it a night — heaven forefend — Mitch and I jumped into a cab and found ourselves in a bar sporting an “animal” theme — stuffed heads on the walls, pelts on the leather couches, etc. At one point, Mitch graciously went to the bar to get me a Grey Goose when, HAND TO GOD, a goat in a coat trotted by our table. Mitch came back and I looked at him, slack-jawed, and said, “Um… agoat in a tartan coat just walked past us.” And Mitch, ever the master of the deadpan wit, paused and quizzically responded: “What’s ‘tartan’?” Yes, because that was the weirdest part of my statement.